Friends

Tuesday is Scout night. The night my son looks forward to all week. His time with only Mom and  his "boys".

Having a child with Autism is very different. Nico doesn't make friends easily, especially those that are his age. But through Cub Scouts, he has blossomed. He has made his first "real" friend, A. He's been invited over to A's home. Tonight A loaned Nico a Wii game. But the most touching thing about this friendship is the empathy flowing from this other 7 year old boy. Even though Nico begins each meeting anxiously on the peripheral of the group by the end of the night he is comfortably in the middle of a gaggle of running boys playing "Zombies" or some other such game, thanks to his friend A.  A is very sensitive to Nico's thoughts, emotions and the sources of his frustrations.

Tonight's meeting begin no differently. The boys were showing one another their collections. Nico was watching from the side. I'm not sure what, if anything was said, or if Nico even knew A had this particular game. Under normal circumstances, Nico would have begun "stimming" upon realizing someone had something or anything relating to his favorite character. But Nico sat quietly in his chair as one by one,  the boys begun to share their collections with the Den. Nico's friend, A, leaned over and asked me if Nico would like to borrow a Wii game. I asked A. "Which one?' and he pulled out Epic Mickey. Nico's face lit up upon seeing his favorite character and begun bouncing in his seat. I'm not sure how A knew Nico would love  that particular game or that Mickey is one of his favorite characters, but he did. Just as a best friend should.

The Gift

Sometimes in life, things do not go according to our plans. And we fight that. We fight the change and we whine and ask God "Why?". But the thing we forget and should remember, is that HIS plans are always better than ours. HE in omnipotent. HIS plans are the best for us and for HIS glory.

I am learning to live this minute by minute. My 7 year old son was recently diagnosed with Autisic Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder.

Autism.

What parent wants to hear that diagnosis? Their child will never be "normal". Live will never be "normal". Instead of school, play dates, field trips and  family vacations, life revolves around doctor appointments and multiple therapies. Everyone in the family must adjust.

And that is a good thing.

My neurotypical children are learning to be more like our Savior - less self-focused. Learning to put the needs of another above their own desires. God is refining and purifying me. In order to help my son, I am having to be a decidedly more disciplined person, more organized. And my son? He is learning that to function in a world that is not accommodating to his conditions, he must be flexible. Like clay in the potter's hand.

How can anything that molds us to HIS likeness be bad?
That is why I view this diagnosis as a gift.